Agilent Technologies G6691A User manual

Agilent Technologies
Agilent G6691A
ADM Flow Meter
Operating
Instructions

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2016
No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or
by any means (including electronic storage and retrieval
or translation into a foreign language) without prior
agreement and written consent from Agilent Technolo-
gies, Inc. as governed by United States and international
copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
G6691-90000
Edition
First edition, October 2016
Printed in USA
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
2850 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19808-1610 USA
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The material contained in this document is provided “as
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future editions. Further, to the maximum extent
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Safety Notices
CAUTION
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It calls
attention to an operating procedure, practice,
or the like that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage to the
product or loss of important data. Do not pro-
ceed beyond a CAUTION notice until the indi-
cated conditions are fully understood and
met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating procedure,
practice, or the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could result in
personal injury or death. Do not proceed
beyond a WARNING notice until the
indicated conditions are fully understood
and met.
2

3
Agilent Technologies
Introduction 4
Principles of Operation 6
Display 7
Using the Flow Meter Stand 8
Power/Mode Button 9
Select Button 9
Switching the ADM Flow Meter On and Off 9
Operating Modes 10
Making a Flow Measurement 12
Storing Flow Measurements 13
Reading and Setting a Split Ratio 15
About Flow Measurements 16
Info Mode 17
USB Interface 21
Warning and Error Indications 23
Replacing the Cartridge 24
Replacing Batteries 27
Upgrading the Firmware/Retrieving Certificate of
Calibration 30
A Note About Back Pressure 30
Technical Support 30
Product Specifications 31

4 Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the new Agilent ADM Flow Meter! The ADM
Flow Meter has been designed to accurately measure the flow of gases commonly
used in Gas Chromatography without knowledge of the gas type or mixture compo-
sition. A complete ADM Flow Meter consists of a Flow Meter Mainframe and a
Flow Meter Cartridge. The Flow Meter Mainframe contains the display, keypad,
batteries, and microprocessor; while the Flow Meter Cartridge contains all of the
hardware used to make a flow measurement. Flow Meter Cartridges are individu-
ally factory calibrated and can easily be replaced with a new cartridge without
returning the Flow Meter to Agilent. This eliminates the hassle and downtime
associated with maintaining the calibration of an instrument that would normally
need to be sent to an outside facility for calibration on a yearly basis.

Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions 5
Included in the packaging are the following items:
Table 1 Packing List
1 ADM Flow Meter Mainframe
1 ADM Flow Meter Cartridge
1 USB Cable
1 Screwdriver, Phillips head
3 AA Alkaline Batteries
1 Calibration Certificate
1 Declaration of Conformance
1 Quick Start Guide

6 Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions
Principles of Operation
The ADM Flow Meter provides continuous, real time measurements of dry gas
flows, such as those used for Gas Chromatography. Unlike bubble flow meters, the
ADM Flow Meter operates without liquids, bubbles, or glass parts. When acti-
vated, a solenoid actuated valve interrupts the gas flow momentarily. The gas flow
moves a diaphragm in proportion to the flow rate. This movement is transformed by
the Flow Meter's electronics into a digital value which is displayed on the Flow
Meter's screen. The ADM Flow Meter provides two different types of flow mea-
surements: volumetric flow (mL/min) and mass flow reported in standard cubic
centimeters per minute (sccm). Mass flow values are calculated from the volumet-
ric measurements by correcting for ambient temperature and atmospheric pres-
sure, and reporting the flow rate referenced to 0 °C and 1 atmosphere of pressure,
using digital temperature and pressure sensors installed in the mainframe of the
flow meter.
The ADM Flow Meter employs a replaceable cartridge that contains all parts sub-
ject to calibration. This eliminates the need to ship the entire meter back to the fac-
tory to maintain its calibration. The cartridge calibration is valid for a period of one
year from its first use. A new, calibrated cartridge can be ordered in advance, and
then installed when necessary.
When the flow meter is powered on with a new cartridge installed, the current date
is written to the cartridge’s memory based on the mainframe’s internal clock. Each
time the flow meter is turned on, the meter will compare the current date to the ini-
tial turn on date of the cartridge. If the initial turn on date is more than a year from
the current date, the flow meter will flash a notification to the user that the calibra-
tion has expired. The flow meter will still function with an expired calibration. This
eliminates downtime, enabling you to keep working. See “Replacing the
Cartridge" on page 24.
CAUTION The measurement calibration can be affected if the instrument
is exposed to temperatures above 50 °C for extended periods
of time.
Please inspect the temperature label attached to the inside of
cartridge packaging to verify that your cartridge has not been
damaged in shipment. A grey circle is acceptable, a black circle
indicates that the cartridge may have been exposed to an
extreme temperature.
Please contact Agilent Technical Support if your cartridge is
delivered with a temperature indicator that is black.

Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions 7
The ADM Flow Meter is powered by three AA alkaline batteries. Power can also be
supplied via the micro USB port located on the side of the unit.
Display
The ADM Flow Meter has a bright OLED display with a battery strength indicator.
The unit automatically adjusts the resolution of the display in response to various
gas flow ranges as follows:
When the battery strength indicator shows that the battery strength is low, replace
the batteries. See “Replacing Batteries" on page 27.
NOTE Using the USB port to supply power does not recharge the
installed batteries.
NOTE The ADM Flow Meter can also be powered by rechargeable batter-
ies, but the battery indicator may not display correctly.
Flow (mL/min)
Display resolution
(mL/min)
0 - 9.99 0.01
10.0 - 99.9 0.1
100 - 750 1.0

8 Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions
Using the Flow Meter Stand
The flip down wire stand will give you a better viewing angle when the ADM Flow
Meter is placed above bench level. Pull the stand down until it is in the locked posi-
tion.
Stand

Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions 9
Power/Mode Button
The Power/Mode button is used to switch the ADM Flow Meter on and off, as well
as to scroll through and select the different operational modes.
•To turn on the instrument briefly press and release the Power/Mode button.
•To turn off the instrument press and hold the Power/Mode button for three sec-
onds.
•To scroll through the available modes, when the instrument is on, briefly press
and release the Power/Mode button.
Select Button
The Select button is used to access additional functionality within the operating
modes. This includes storing flow measurements, setting a reference value for the
Split Mode, and changing the settings.
Switching the ADM Flow Meter On and Off
With the ADM Flow Meter powered off, briefly press and release the Power/Mode
button to turn the unit on. The display will flash the Agilent logo for approximately
3 seconds, and then begin operating. During startup, the microprocessor will run a
self-diagnostic test to ensure the unit is functioning properly.
With the unit powered on, press and hold the Power/Mode button for three sec-
onds to power down the unit.

10 Agilent ADM Flow Meter Operating Instructions
Operating Modes
With the ADM Flow Meter switched on, briefly press the Power/Mode button to
scroll through the different operational modes.
The available modes are as follows:
Volumetric flow mode
This is the default mode on power up. In this mode, the volumetric flow rate is dis-
played in mL/min.
Mass flow mode
In this mode, the volumetric flow rate is corrected taking into account the current
atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. The flow rate is displayed in sccm
(standard cubic centimeters per minute) referenced to 1 atmosphere of pressure
and 0 °C.
Split mode
In this mode, you can store a flow measurement as a reference value, and then
compare subsequent flow measurement values as a ratio of the current measure-
ment to the reference measurement. This is useful when trouble shooting a GC
Inlet.